What is the Practical Skills Workshop on the Divemaster Course?
The seven Practical Skills Workshops equip candidates with the necessary abilities to perform their duties effectively as Divemasters.
Practical Skills Workshop 1: Setting up and Managing Dives
Divemaster candidates should:
- Organise the dive site and manage predive preparation in buddy teams or individually.
- Select a suitable spot for divers to gather and prepare equipment.
- Prepare emergency equipment, including a first‐aid kit and oxygen unit.
- Welcome divers upon their arrival at the site or boat and direct them to where to place equipment, location of facilities, etc.
- Organise the dive roster and follow procedures for checking covers in and out of the water.
- If diving from the shore, set up a dive flag beforehand. If diving from a boat, ensure the descent line and dive flag are in place.
- Decide on the best location to observe the dive from.
- Be available to answer any divers’ questions and assist them before and after their dive.
- Strive to ensure the diving or trip experience is enjoyable for all divers
Practical Skills Workshop 2: Create a Dive Map
Divemaster candidates should work in teams to survey an open water dive site. They should create a detailed map that includes underwater relief, points of interest, environmental notes, entry/exit areas, local facilities, and potential hazards relevant to the site.
Practical Skills Workshop 3: Briefing a Dive
Each Divemaster candidate should conduct a dive briefing for a dive site they are familiar with, covering all 10 points listed below, preferably using the dive map created during Skills Workshop 2.
- Their role and how a diver can identify them underwater, if applicable.
- Name of the Dive site
- Brief description and key topographical features of the dive site
- Overview of marine life present.
- Respecting the underwater world reminder
- Techniques for entering and exiting.
- Procedures for Diving
- Instructions for handling emergencies.
- Review signals specific to the dive site.
- Complete dive roster and pre-dive safety check
Practical Skills Workshop 4: Navigation Exercise
The Divemaster candidate should lead a group of divers while navigating to and from the boat or shore. The candidate should return within 10 metres of the boat or shore
Ideally, this will be in conditions with low visibility to fully test the navigation skills of the Divemaster candidate. You may also consider running this workshop on a night dive.
Practical Skills Workshop 5: Deep Dive Exercise
- Plan and manage gas usage while diving with a buddy, including calculating the appropriate turn, ascent, and reserve pressures. It’s also crucial to establish no‐stop and dive time limits.
- Use a line, wall, or sloping bottom to descend.
- Use a compass and navigate at least 25 kick cycles away from the reference line or designated spot, then return to it.
- Stay within the Ascent Rate of their dive computer
- Perform a safety stop at 5 metres for at least three minutes, or as indicated by their dive computer
Divers who hold a Deep Diver certification do not need to complete this workshop.
Practical Skills Workshop 6: Ability to Manage Stressful Situations
The Divemaster stress test scenario offers a safe and controlled environment to simulate various diving challenges. It comprehensively assesses the candidate’s ability to handle unexpected situations, ensure diver safety, and manage group dynamics effectively.
Objective
In Confined Water, evaluate the Divemaster candidate’s ability to effectively manage stress, handle multiple tasks, and ensure safety in a controlled pool environment, simulating real-life dive situations.
Scenario Setup
- Location: A Confined Water site with sufficient depth for dive simulations.
- Equipment: Standard diving gear for all participants, with additional items for creating simulated scenarios (like partially filled tanks for simulating air depletion).
- Participants: The Divemaster candidate, at least two divers acting as students (some with assigned roles for simulated problems), and an overseeing Instructor.
It’s recommended to have four divers if logistics allow.
Conducting the Exercise
1. Briefing: The Divemaster candidate conducts a briefing outlining the dive objectives and safety protocols.
2. Controlled Dive Execution: During the Confined Water dive, the Instructor covertly signals one of the divers to simulate a common diving issue, such as difficulty with buoyancy or mask clearing. The candidate must identify and assist the diver while maintaining group oversight.
3. Additional Challenges: A diver simulates a panic situation, requiring the candidate to perform a controlled and calming response, safely escorting the diver to the poolside. Another diver simulates an air depletion scenario, prompting the candidate to execute an emergency ascent procedure and air-sharing techniques in the pool.
4. Simulated Equipment Malfunction: A diver experiences a simulated equipment malfunction, such as a stuck BCD inflator or free-flowing regulator. The candidate must assess the situation, provide appropriate assistance, and decide on the course of action (whether to continue or abort the practice dive).
5. Post-Dive Debriefing: After the pool session, the Divemaster candidate conducts a debriefing, discussing the management of each scenario. During the session, the Instructor provides detailed feedback, focusing on the candidate’s stress management, problem-solving abilities, and overall leadership.
Safety Considerations: The Instructor monitors the scenario for safety and is prepared to intervene if necessary. All participants are briefed on the nature of the stress test and have clear signals to communicate distress or the need to stop. The scenarios are designed to be challenging but within the safety parameters of a pool environment.
Evaluation Criteria
| Benchmark | Score |
|---|---|
| Outstanding in all aspects. Quick and efficient in emergency handling, exceptional leadership, clear communication, and adheres to safety standards. Exhibits strong professionalism. | 5 |
| Strong performance in most areas. Good problem-solving, leadership, and communication, with minor areas for improvement. Confident and effective overall. | 4 |
| Basic competence in scenario management. Adequate problem response, decision-making, and group control, but with room for improvement in execution and confidence. | 3 |
| Some skill understanding but challenges in managing scenarios effectively. Inconsistent leadership and communication, with noticeable areas needing improvement. | 2 |
| Struggles significantly with problem handling, leadership, decision-making, and safety adherence. Lacks effective emergency response and group management, or the excercise was not completed. | 1 |
Practical Skills Workshop 7: Minor Equipment Repairs
Divemasters should be able to perform minor repairs on scuba equipment
Demonstrate and have each candidate perform the following:
- Replace a low-pressure hose on a regulator.
- Inspect and replace the main o-ring on a scuba cylinder valve
- Replace a mask strap
- Replace a fin strap